Surging still
Cavs lead their division after rallying from 11 down in Atlanta
Sunday, Oct 26, 2008 - 12:07 AM Updated: 04:26 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

ATLANTA -- This is not a dream, University of Virginia fans.

That football team that was 1-3 after losing by 28 points at Duke last month? It's the same U.Va. team that, after rallying to knock off No. 21 Georgia Tech yesterday, now leads the ACC's Coastal Division.

"We got a little thing going now," junior wide receiver Kevin Ogletree said after the Cavaliers' 24-17 win over the Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

"Everybody's happy, and it's for a reason. It's because everybody's doing more, and we don't accept losing. We got some guys with a lot of heart on the team who won't tolerate losing."

A loss seemed a distinct possibility for the Cavaliers (3-1, 5-3) late in the first quarter, when they trailed 14-3. But a 14-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Marc Verica to Ogletree ignited U.Va.'s offense, and its defense dominated in the final three quarters.

After a Verica fumble gave Georgia Tech (3-2, 6-2) the ball at the Virginia 31 with 11:24 left, the home fans in the homecoming crowd of 47,416 roared with anticipation. But the Cavaliers' defense minimized the potential damage, holding the Jackets to a field goal that tied the game at 17. Then Virginia's offense produced a signature drive for the second week in a row.

It started at U.Va.'s 30, with 7:29 left. It ended with senior tailback Cedric Peerman's 3-yard touchdown run at the 3:29 mark. It included 13-yard completions from Verica to tight end John Phillips and Peerman, respectively, a 31-yard run by Peerman and, on third and 8 from the Jackets' 11, an 8-yard run by Peerman, who reached forward with the ball as he went out of bounds to get the final inches necessary to extend the drive.

"I'm almost uncomfortable talking about him, because there's nothing that I could say about Cedric that would do him justice to anybody who saw it with their own eyes," Cavaliers coach Al Groh said.

Peerman finished with 118 yards on 25 carries, and he picked up 55 more yards on five receptions. Another player from the Lynchburg area, junior cornerback Vic Hall effectively sealed the victory for the Wahoos by stepping in front of Georgia Tech's Roddy Jones to intercept a pass with 1:18 left.

Verica, in his sixth start, completed 29 of 39 passes for a career-high 270 yards and two touchdowns. He threw two first-half interceptions, but Verica wasn't fazed. He teamed with senior wideout Maurice Covington early in the third quarter on a TD pass that covered 34 yards and gave U.Va. its first lead.

"Marc did a great job for us," Groh said, "and it's just fitting that the game ended with two significant plays from our two captains from 29 South, Cedric and Vic, two of the guttiest and most tough-minded kids who just bleed [for] this team."

When he came to Georgia Tech from Navy after last season, Paul Johnson installed his trademark triple-option offense, and his team entered yesterday's game as the ACC leader in rushing offense.

On the Jackets' first drive, they covered 73 yards in 11 plays, all of which were runs, for a touchdown. U.Va.'s defense, missing two starters, looked befuddled as it headed to the sideline with the score 7-3.

"It was just one of those things where our defense, we're not used to playing against a triple-option team," said junior Nate Collins, who replaced injured starter Nick Jenkins and played the whole game at nose tackle.

"All week in practice, we had the scout team running the triple option, but it's not the same [as facing] a team that's been running it for, what, eight games now?"

U.Va. defenders proved to be quick learners yesterday. And when it was over, the Jackets had only 259 yards of total offense, some 100 less than their average.

"I'm very proud of the way the players responded," Groh said. "It was about as challenging as it can get . . . to find ourselves behind so quickly like that and not to have slowed [Georgia Tech] down. The defensive kids were just so tough-minded and determined, and they were able to handle a lot of adjustments once we got a fix on things."

A constant in the Cavaliers' four-game winning streak has been this: They were underdogs in each one. Yesterday, the Jackets were favored by two touchdowns, in part because of Virginia's struggles on the road during Groh's eight seasons as coach.

In collecting its first win away from Scott Stadium, U.Va. never flinched. And now Virginia has sole possession of first in the Coastal, thanks to Virginia Tech's loss at Florida State yesterday.

"I'm not amazed by it at all," Hall said of U.Va.'s turnaround, "because we worked hard in the offseason, obviously, and even through the losses we worked hard. And it's paying off for us."

 

U.VA. NOTES
Sunday, Oct 26, 2008 - 12:07 AM
 
Likely high draft picks battle in the trenches
Come April, Eugene Monroe and Michael Johnson are likely to be among the first 10 players taken in the NFL draft. Yesterday, eight NFL teams sent scouts to watch Monroe battle Johnson at Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Monroe, a 6-6, 315-pound senior, starts at left offensive tackle for Virginia. Johnson, a 6-7, 260-pound senior, lines up at defensive end for Georgia Tech.

"He catches your attention very quickly," U.Va. coach Al Groh said of Johnson. "He's got burst, he's got power to his game, he's got excellent technique against the run and against the pass. He's a very accomplished player."

Johnson entered the game with 13 career sacks, including three this season. He got one yesterday, when he got past Monroe and stripped the ball from U.Va. quarterback Marc Verica in the fourth quarter. But that was the only sack Virginia allowed in its 24-17 win over the No. 21 Yellow Jackets.

"He's the best player I've played all year," Monroe said of Johnson. "It was a battle. We went back and forth all game. It was the most fun I've had playing this year."

For the first time since 2002, U.Va. has beaten ranked opponents in consecutive weeks. Virginia rallied to upset then-No. 18 North Carolina in overtime at Scott Stadium last weekend.

Defensive subs shine
On a day when U.Va.'s defense sparkled, it did so without starters Antonio Appleby (inside linebacker) and Nick Jenkins (nose tackle). Both suffered sprained ankles last weekend against North Carolina, and neither was able to go yesterday.

Enter Darren Childs and Nate Collins. Childs, a junior who played most of the UNC game in Appleby's place, made five tackles against Georgia Tech. The start was the first of Childs' college career.

At nose tackle, Collins started for the first time since Sept. 13, and he, like Childs, took every snap when Virginia was in its base 3-4 defense. The junior finished with a career-high six tackles -- second only to linebacker Jon Copper among U.Va. players -- and recovered a fumble.

"Both of them were very significant in the game," Groh said of Childs and Collins, "and to get a win like that with those two kids, it doesn't mean that they're going to have to step back when the other guys come back, but now with another week to get Nick and Antonio back, that'll make us that much stronger."

Kicker perfect in return
Kicker Yannick Reyering, who missed the UNC game with a knee injury, returned yesterday and booted a 25-yard field goal on Virginia's first drive. Reyering didn't attempt another field goal, but he was 3 for 3 on extra points.

Covington stands out
With his uncle, former Georgia Tech standout Tom Covington, watching from the stands, U.Va. senior wideout Maurice Covington had a career-high five catches. He finished with 76 yards, which tied a career high, and one touchdown.

Asked if he planned to talk some trash to his uncle, Covington smiled.

"Definitely," he said. "He's outside waiting for me now. I can't wait to talk to him."

Graduation award given
U.Va. was among the schools recognized last week for graduating football players who enrolled in 2001.

For the 23rd time since 1981, the American Football Coaches Association cited U.Va. for graduating at least 70 percent of its football players. Virginia received the AFCA's Academic Achievement Award in 1985 and'86 for having the highest graduation rate.

That award went this year to Colorado, which graduated 100 percent of the class that began school in 2001. In addition to Colorado, six schools -- Cincinnati, Duke, Navy, Notre Dame, Rutgers and Vanderbilt -- graduated at least 90 percent of the players who enrolled in 2001.

Two Georgians on Cavs
There are no Virginians on Georgia Tech's roster. U.Va.'s includes two Georgians: wide receiver Javaris Brown (Macon) and defensive end Tory Allen (Fayetteville).

Both are true freshmen, and neither is expected to play this year. Allen, Virginia's scout-team player of the week, was part of the travel squad for yesterday's game.

Next
Virginia (3-1, 5-3), which has won three straight at home, returns to Scott Stadium to face ACC rival Miami (2-2, 5-3) on Saturday. Raycom will televise the noon game between the Coastal Division foes.

Miami beat visiting Wake Forest 16-10 yesterday. The Cavaliers have won two straight over the Hurricanes. A season ago, in the'Canes' final game at the Orange Bowl, U.Va. humbled them 48-0. -- Jeff White

 

'Hoos in 1st? Yep, Virginia
The Cavaliers rally from a 14-3 deficit to win their fourth straight game as an underdog.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

ATLANTA -- Of all the descriptions that have been used for Virginia's football team this season, none is an unlikely as this one:

Division leader.

Once-woeful UVa took over first place in the ACC's Coastal Division on Saturday with a 24-17 victory over heavily favored and 21st-ranked Georgia Tech.

"We're in first?" Clint Sintim, the Cavaliers' defensive ringleader, said. "Wow! I didn't know that."

The Cavaliers (5-3, 3-1 ACC) have come out of nowhere, winning their last four games, none of them as a favorite. UVa was a 14-point underdog Saturday.

Virginia has won eight games as an underdog over the past two seasons.

"I don't know how much people really respect Virginia football," said Sintim, who had a hand in two of the Cavaliers' four sacks. "That's not a new story. It's been like that for quite some time but, every once in a while, we fool people."

Georgia Tech (6-2, 3-2) scored on its first two possessions in taking a 14-3 lead, but it was all Virginia after that. The Cavaliers outgained the Yellow Jackets 396-259.

Georgia Tech capitalized on a Marc Verica fumble to force a 17-17 tie with 7:34 remaining, but the Cavaliers responded with an eight-play, 70-yard drive fueled by fifth-year senior running back Cedric Peerman.

Peerman accounted for 54 yards on the drive, including a 31-yard run to the Georgia Tech 11-yard line. With the Cavaliers facing third-and-8, he dove for the first-down marker on a call that the Yellow Jackets unsuccessfully challenged, then scored the go-ahead touchdown on the next play.

Peerman finished with 25 carries for 118 yards, his third game of 100 yards or more during the winning streak, but he almost scored too quickly

The clock read 3:29 when UVa kicked off and there was plenty of time remaining when Georgia Tech picked up a first down at the Cavs' 49 with 1:28 left.

The Yellow Jackets seemingly had some momentum after coming out of a second-and-26 hole, but they had little time to celebrate.

UVa cornerback Vic Hall anticipated an out pattern to running back Roddy Jones and intercepted Josh Nesbitt's pass at the Cavaliers' 43.

"It was just fitting that the game ended with significant plays from our two captains from [U.S.] 29 South -- Cedric and Vic," UVa coach Al Groh said.

Peerman played at a Group A program, William Campbell, and Hall played at a then-Group AA program, Gretna, that has subsequently dropped to Group A and competes in the same district as William Campbell.

"Great for him!" said Groh of Hall, who holds Virginia high school records for passing yardage and total offense. "He's had those people poking at him like, 'How come you're not playing quarterback?' We knew how valuable he was there, but now he's turned two games for us with fourth-quarter interceptions.

"And, clearly, we've got a pretty decent quarterback out there right now. So, all the pieces seem to be properly in place."

That was a reference to sophomore quarterback Verica, who overcame two first-half interceptions to throw for a career-high 270 yards. It was the fourth straight game of 200 passing yards or more for Verica, who completed 29 of his 39 passes.

Verica tossed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Ogletree that trimmed Georgia Tech's lead to 14-10 in the second quarter, and the Cavaliers went ahead 17-14 on a 34-yard pass from Verica to Maurice Covington with 10:22 left in the third period.

Georgia Tech had received the kickoff to start the second half, but Nesbitt fumbled a snap that was recovered by UVa nose tackle Nate Collins at the Yellow Jackets' 47.

Collins started and played the whole way in place of injured regular Nick Jenkins.

Georgia Tech was able to score its tying field goal after a fumble by Verica that the Yellow Jackets' Derrick Morgan recovered at the UVa 31, but the turnovers were even for the game. A second Nesbitt fumble recovered by UVa's Denzel Burrell halted another drive at the UVa 5.

It was Georgia Tech's 26th fumble of the season, 14 of which it has lost.

"Guys, what do you want me to tell you?" Tech coach Paul Johnson said to the media. "I don't know. If I knew, we wouldn't fumble. They fumbled the center-quarterback exchange. I mean, we take hundreds of those every day."

Johnson, who brought the triple option with him from Navy, watched the Yellow Jackets run the ball 11 straight times and have four runs of 10 yards or more on a 73-yard touchdown drive that wiped out a 3-0 Virginia lead. They rushed for 83 yards the rest of the game.

"I really can't believe it," said Nesbitt of the Yellow Jackets' offensive difficulties over the final three quarters. "But, they outplayed us."

Virginia had been outscored 76-10 in two previous road games this season, but the Cavaliers won four road games in 2007, so it's not as if they hadn't experienced the feeling. They return to Charlottesville Saturday for a noon kickoff with Miami.

"I told our players, 'Don't get too full of yourselves,' " said Groh, hesitant to discuss the Coastal Division race. "We're just trying to figure out how to get our next one."
 

Collins steps up for Cavs

ATLANTA -- When Virginia football coach Al Groh took time to praise freshman nose tackle Nick Jenkins early in the week, hardly anybody realized that Jenkins was injured.

Jenkins had turned an ankle late in the Cavaliers' 16-13 overtime victory over North Carolina and junior Nate Collins took his place in the overtime.

Nobody noticed Collins against North Carolina, which was not a bad thing, but he was impossible to overlook Saturday.

Collins' third-quarter fumble recovery set up a Virginia touchdown and he finished with six unassisted tackles in the Cavaliers' 24-17 victory.

Groh's constant references to a next-man-up philosophy might sound tiresome.

But, for the second week in a row, UVa was without two defensive starters.

Against North Carolina, inside linebacker Antonio Appleby and cornerback Ras-I Dowling were injured on the first series.

Dowling returned Saturday, but Appleby did not play, although he was in uniform. He had started the previous 34 games

"Antonio made more progress in the last 48 hours than he made in the preceding five days," Groh said.

"It looked very, very highly questionable on Thursday, which was the only day that he practiced.

"In the pregame, if you didn't know what his injury was, you wouldn't have guessed it. But in a game where there was going to be a lot of running and cut-blocking, he was going to be in jeopardy."

Virginia seems to get its injuries in twos -- Clint Sintim and Dowling at Duke, Appleby and Dowling against North Carolina, and then Appleby and Jenkins were unavailable Saturday.

"I hope, today, maybe we got some zeros," Groh said.

Close call

With his late-game interception, UVa cornerback Vic Hall helped bail out his coach. With Georgia Tech facing a fourth-and-11 on its final drive, Groh was called for sideline interference, a 5-yard penalty that resulted in a fourth-and-6 that the Yellow Jackets barely converted.

"I'm trying to get Dowling matched up," said Groh, who had ventured onto the field during a stop in play. "I'm trying to yell at him and he's looking at me like I'm hypnotized.

"I guess the official felt it was an important thing to do at that time in the game, to make his presence known."

Streaks 'n' such

Before Saturday, Virginia had lost nine straight games to ranked opponents on the road since a 26-24 triumph over then-No. 19 Clemson in 2001. ... The Cavaliers have beaten ranked teams in back-to-back weeks for the first time since they defeated No. 20 North Carolina State and No. 18 Maryland in 2002, Groh's second season.

On deck

The Cavaliers (5-3 overall, 3-1 ACC) entertain Miami (5-3, 2-2) at noon on Saturday at Scott Stadium (WDBJ).

Miami defeated Wake Forest on Saturday.
 

Cavs get Peerman push
By Mark Berman
981-3125

ATLANTA -- The "heart of the team" kept the Virginia offense pumping Saturday.

Cedric Peerman ran for 118 yards and the winning touchdown to help Virginia knock off No. 21 Georgia Tech 24-17 on Saturday.

He has had a major impact on the Cavaliers during a four-game winning streak that has vaulted them into sole possession of first place in the ACC's Coastal Division.

"He's the heart of the team," UVa quarterback Marc Verica said. "He's tremendously explosive, and he never quits. The first guy never tackles him.

"[He has] tremendous leadership and passion for the game, just extremely fiery."

Fiery? Peerman? He spent most of his postgame chat with the media repeatedly crediting God and his offensive line.

"He's low-key. But when he hits the field, he's a different kind of guy -- a ton of fire," Verica said.

Since returning from a knee injury that prevented him from playing in a Sept. 27 loss at Duke, Peerman has rushed for more than 100 yards in three of UVa's four straight wins. He also has had six TD runs and 23 receptions in the winning streak, including five catches for 55 yards Saturday.

"I'm almost uncomfortable talking about him ... because there's nothing I could say about Cedric that would do him justice," UVa coach Al Groh said.

"He's our inspirational leader. ... When a guy sets a standard of laying it on the line like that, then everybody follows. ... He's the best."

Peerman carried the ball five times and caught a pass on the winning touchdown drive. He had an impressive 31-yard run to get UVa to the Georgia Tech 13. He lost a yard on the next play, so he was sent to the sideline to rest for a play. He then returned to the field and had an 8-yard run to the GT 3 on 3rd-and-8.

"I always try to check the yardage, what you have to get," Peerman said. "Sometimes I just have to look out there and see the stick and dive out there."

He capped that eight-play drive by scoring on a 3-yard run to give UVa a 24-17 lead with 3:29 to go.

UVa was 11-of-18 on third downs Saturday. In addition to his key carry to get the ball to the 3 on the winning touchdown drive, Peerman had a 17-yard run on third-and-1 during the team's first touchdown drive.

"We're a different team when he's in the game," Verica said. "He really makes this offense go."

Peerman repeatedly broke through tackles Saturday.

"God just blesses me with the ability to do that," Peerman said.

But the defensive players no doubt believe in God, too. So what's really the difference in Peerman's ability?

"There's no difference. I attribute it to God," he said with a grin. "That's it. I'm sorry, I have no other answer."
 

Peerman's guts fuel Cavaliers' rise
David Teel
October 26, 2008
ATLANTA

Start with Cedric Peerman, the oft-injured, God-fearing, tackle-breaking machine with the mean stiff-arm.

But don't stop there. Don't even think about it.

Just like its wild, month-long rise to first place in the ACC's Coastal Division, Virginia's 24-17 victory Saturday at Georgia Tech was authored by many.

There was reserve nose tackle Nate Collins playing every snap, making six tackles and recovering a fumble in place of injured starter Nick Jenkins (ankle).

And the offensive line yielding only one sack against the conference's fiercest pass rush. And Marc Verica — another Matt Schaub in the making? — shaking off three turnovers to throw two touchdown passes and exceed 200 yards for the fourth consecutive game.

Oh, and linebacker Clint Sintim recording a sack for the fifth straight game, and cornerback Vic Hall closing the deal with a textbook interception.

Wait, there's more.

The coaching staff, particularly big whistle Al Groh and defensive coordinator Bob Pruett, adjusting brilliantly after Georgia Tech scored touchdowns on its first two possessions to snare a 14-3 first-quarter lead.

And yes, offensive coordinator Mike Groh dialing up a deep post route, which Maurice Covington sold convincingly against press coverage and Verica threw perfectly for a 34-yard third-quarter score that gave the 14-point underdog Cavs their first lead.

"Another we, us and our win," Al Groh said.

Trite, maybe. Also accurate.

But Groh, like most Virginia faithful, understands the genesis is Peerman.

"I'm almost uncomfortable talking about him," Groh said. "There's nothing I would say about Cedric that would do him justice. … He's our inspirational leader. … When a player sets a standard of laying it on the line like that, everybody follows."

Peerman, a senior tailback, missed half of last season with a foot injury and was slowed early this year by a cranky knee. And if Peerman can't play, you know doctors are probably talking amputation.

Ask Jackets freshman cornerback Rashaad Reid how tough Peerman is. On Peerman's game-winning, 3-yard TD run around right end, Reid took the textbook angle, only to be driven back by a stiff-arm to the face as Peerman lunged into the end zone.

Not that Reid didn't already know. On the final play of the first quarter, Peerman carried Reid on his back for several strides to complete a 17-yard gain, keying a drive that ended with the Cavaliers' first touchdown.

Keeping in character, Peerman wanted no part of any credit for his own performance or Virginia's transformation from bungling losers at Duke to division leaders at Georgia Tech.

"I play for the Lord and my teammates," Peerman said.

His teammates are much obliged.

"That's why I know we're not out of any game," Verica said of Peerman, who's rushed for 445 yards during Virginia's four-game winning streak.

Stunning, isn't it? Since losing by four touchdowns — four touchdowns! — at Duke, the Cavaliers (5-3, 3-1 ACC) have defeated Maryland, East Carolina, No. 18 North Carolina and No. 21 Georgia Tech, all as underdogs.

But the first three were at home. Saturday was U.Va.'s first road victory against a ranked opponent since 2001 at Clemson, snapping a nine-game losing streak in such contests.

"It seems like every once in a while we surprise people," Sintim said.

Every once in a while? Try every week.

Virginia's victory and Virginia Tech's loss at Florida State puts the Cavaliers atop the Coastal Division by themselves halfway through their ACC schedule.

"Wow," Sintim said. "I didn't know that."

Sintim should also know this: After allowing 73 rushing yards on Georgia Tech's first drive, Virginia limited the league's No. 1 running attack (248 yards per game) to 83.

He should also know that the Cavaliers exhibited nearly perfect offensive balance with 39 passes and 36 runs, and punted only once — that late in the third quarter.

Translation: Neither this victory nor this winning streak is a fluke.

No, Virginia isn't and won't be ready to challenge Texas, Georgia, Florida or anyone else in the top 10. But with four regular-season games left, the Cavaliers are absolutely capable of advancing to the ACC championship game.

"As long as we don't get full of ourselves," Groh said.

"This team," Sintim said, "is on the verge of doing something great."

 

Paul Johnson speaks
Needless to say, Georgia Tech's head coach was not happy after three turnovers and countless missed tackles contributed to the Yellow Jackets' 24-17 loss to Virginia this afternoon.

"I'm really disappointed," he said. "We made enough mistakes in about every area to lose the game twice over."

On how to stop his team's fumbling (14 lost on the season, two today): "Tell them to stop. I really don't know what else to do. At this level, you'd like to think you could get the center-to-quarterback exchange."

Johnson's issues with his squad are legit. But they should not and do not take away from Virginia's victory.

The Cavaliers rest atop the ACC's Coastal Division at 3-1 and are capable of beating all of their remaining opponents: Miami, Wake Forest, Clemson and Virginia Tech.

Depending on the health of the Hokies' quarterbacks, the regular-season finale in Blacksburg appears to be the biggest hurdle.

Agreed?


 

U.Va. linemen come up big in battle of NFL prospects
By DAVID TEEL
247-4636
October 26, 2008
ATLANTA

Virginia left tackle Eugene Monroe said he's rarely had so much fun in a football game, and not just because the Cavaliers upset Georgia Tech 24-17 on Saturday.

The enjoyment for Monroe was competing against Yellow Jackets defensive ends Michael Johnson and Derrick Morgan in battles that showcased three NFL prospects.

Monroe and fellow tackle Will Barker more than distinguished themselves as Virginia allowed just one sack.

"I'm really not under pressure at all back there," quarterback Marc Verica said after completing 29 of 39 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns.

The one sack was costly as Johnson beat Monroe and jarred the ball loose from Verica.

Morgan recovered at Virginia's 31 to set up a field goal that tied the game at 17.

ODD PENALTY
Virginia coach Al Groh was penalized 5 yards on Georgia Tech's final possession for a sideline violation.

Groh said he was attempting to make sure cornerback Ras-I Dowling knew to match up against receiver Demaryius Thomas.

In making his point, Groh came several steps onto the field after an incomplete pass, and head linesman Elmo Gray threw the flag.

"I guess the official thought it was an important thing to do at that time of the game to make his presence known," Groh said.

The infraction gave Georgia Tech a fourth-and-6 rather than fourth-and-11, and the Jackets converted with a 6-yard pass to Thomas.

But on the next play, Vic Hall intercepted Josh Nesbitt to end the Jackets' hopes.

HIGH RISK, HIGH REWARD
That's the triple-option offense, Georgia Tech's included.

Nesbitt's two lost fumbles give the Jackets a league-high 26 fumbles, of which they've lost 14.

Virginia nose guard Nate Collins recovered the first after a nasty scrum.

"I was getting my fingers pulled back," Collins said. "But that's part of football, under-the-pile stuff that no one else sees."

INJURY UPDATE
Inside linebacker Antonio Appleby dressed but missed the game with the sprained ankle he sustained last week against North Carolina.

"He made more progress in the last 48 hours than in the preceding five days," Groh said.

Darren Childs, who earned the staff's confidence with 10 tackles in relief of Appleby last week, filled in admirably again with five tackles.

Also: Kicker Yannick Reyering returned after missing one game with a knee ailment.

He made a 25-yard field goal on the Cavaliers' opening possession and converted all three of his extra points.

Nose guard Nick Jenkins (ankle) did not play. Collins made a career-best six tackles in his place.

ALL IN THE FAMILY
Virginia receiver Maurice Covington was eager to see his uncle Tony after the game.

Tony Covington was a tight end on the 1990 Georgia Tech team that defeated No. 1 Virginia at Scott Stadium en route to a share of the national championship.

Covington caught two passes in the Jackets' 41-38 victory.

His nephew was better Saturday. Maurice caught five passes for 76 yards, 34 coming on a touchdown.

"He's outside waiting for me," Covington said of his uncle. "I can't wait to talk to him."

QUICK KICKS

The Cavaliers' victories over North Carolina and Georgia Tech are their first consecutive wins over ranked opponents since 2002, when they defeated North Carolina State and Maryland, both at Scott Stadium. ...

Virginia converted a sterling 11 of 18 third downs. Georgia Tech was 4-for-10.

ON DECK
Virginia hosts Miami at noon Saturday. The Hurricanes (5-3, 2-2 ACC) defeated Wake Forest 16-10 on Saturday.

The Cavaliers embarrassed Miami 48-0 last season in the Hurricanes' final game at the historic Orange Bowl.
 

Tech tackled itself
By Terence Moore | Saturday, October 25, 2008, 09:17 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

So this was another test of adversity for a ridiculously young football team. No school in the ACC has more underclassmen on its roster than Georgia Tech. That means the Yellow Jackets still have much to learn despite streaking into Saturday’s game against Virginia with just one loss in seven games under a new coach.

You can make that two losses in eight games under that new coach.

Courtesy of mostly self-inflicted wounds, Tech suffered a come-from-ahead loss of 24-17 that now has the Jackets pursuing the ACC championship game from afar instead of up close and personal. They have nobody to blame but their sloppy themselves.

Where to start? How about the ability of Virginia’s offense to convert on third downs virtually at will throughout the chilly afternoon? In the end, with much help from a slew of missed tackles by the Jackets, Virginia was 11-for-18 in that category. “Pretty good, wasn’t it?” said Paul Johnson, that new coach, delivering most of his post-game analysis of the Jackets through clenched teeth, and for good reason.

Before a relatively lively homecoming crowd of 47,416, the Jackets suffered a positively deflating loss, which brings us back to their latest test of adversity.

This time, they flunked. They passed other such tests earlier this season after surging from the rear to win conference games on the road against Boston College and Clemson. They flunked against Virginia because they couldn’t discover ways to overcome themselves.

In addition to those missed tackles, the Jackets’ normally aggressive front seven on defense barely touched Virginia quarterback Marc Verica, who regularly picked apart the Jackets’ injury-depleted and inexperienced-filled secondary.

Before we continue, let’s get this youth excuse out of the way regarding the Jackets’ inconsistency at times this season. “We know we can’t use youth as an excuse, because when it comes down to it, everybody is a football player who has to do their job,” said Morgan Burnett, Tech’s gifted safety, who nevertheless was as shoddy as many of his teammates in tackling (or the lack thereof) against Virginia. When it came to running back Cedric Peerman alone, Johnson estimated his defenders “missed 10 or 15 tackles.”

That said, the Jackets have a bigger issue to overcome. They’ve yet to discover an answer to keeping the butter fingers away while running Johnson’s triple-option offense. They entered the weekend tied for third in the nation in lost fumbles with 12.

They now have 14.

The problem on Saturday? Well, Josh Nesbitt just had one of those days as a sophomore quarterback starting his sixth game in Johnson’s triple-option offense. He was responsible for both of the fumbles, and he contributed to several other Tech problems, too. Like a couple of the four times he was sacked after holding the ball too long and a costly interception.

As for Nesbitt’s first fumble, it came from a dropped snap from center. Said Johnson with a sigh, “I mean, on this level, you’d like to think that you could get the quarterback-center exchange.” Then he described Nesbitt’s fumble at the Virginia 5-yard line in the third quarter with Tech trailing 17-14. “He just fumbled the ball,” Johnson said, shrugging.

“Then there was the interception at the end there [with Tech driving],” Johnson added. “That was a poor decision, and we actually had a chance there during the second play of that series. We had Correy Earls there open, if he had thrown the ball.”

Nesbitt didn’t. A lot of things didn’t happen for Tech against Virginia.

 

Tech defense takes a hit with loss of Reese
By LARRY HARTSTEIN, KEN SUGIURA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Saturday, October 25, 2008

Georgia Tech’s depleted secondary got thinner Saturday.

Safety Dominique Reese missed the second half with a possible concussion, and Virginia quarterback Marc Verica morphed from effective to nearly flawless.

The sophomore completed 10 of 11 throws after halftime and finished 29 of 39 for 270 yards, with two touchdown and two interceptions. It was the most completions Tech allowed all season.

The secondary came into the game without senior cornerback Jahi Word-Daniels, who has an injured hamstring. True freshman Rashaad Reid started in his place and was beaten on both touchdowns, a 14-yarder to Kevin Ogletree and a 34-yarder to Maurice Covington.

Reese’s loss was critical; his acrobatic second-quarter interception was his third pick in as many games.

“Losing Dominique hurt bad because we were already short, but that happens in football games. People go down and you’ve just got to play,” said Reid, who made seven tackles. “I could have played better. We’ve got to bounce back and come back better.”

Cornerback DeRon Jasper played a lot after Reese left and made four tackles.

Safety Morgan Burnett nabbed his sixth interception of the season, ninth of his career, and he and safety Cooper Taylor shared the team high with 11 tackles.

But Tech couldn’t stop Virginia’s dumpoffs and short passes.

“It comes back to putting your eyes in the right place and at times our linebackers didn’t do that and they lost ‘em, started looking downfield,” defensive coordinator Dave Wommack said. “It’s something we’re going to work on because I’m sure we’ll see it again.”

Missed tackles

Defensive coordinator Dave Wommack estimated Tech missed “25, 30 or more” tackles Saturday. Cedric Peerman shed a good portion, if not the majority, of that total.

The 5-10, 208-pounder ran for 118 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, caught five passes for 55 yards and turned several apparent losses into gains.

“We knew coming in he was a tough runner, physical, probably one of the best backs in the ACC and the country,” defensive end Michael Johnson said. “He’s got a lot of power and balance. I think his main attribute is his balance. We were getting good licks on him but he was staying on his feet.”

On Virginia’s game-winning 70-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, Peerman had 59 yards.

“I’m not very flashy,” Peerman said. “I have a little bit of speed to get around the edge every now and then.”

Cavaliers coach Al Groh was a bit more effusive.

“I’m almost uncomfortable talking about him, because there is nothing I can say about Cedric that would do him justice to anybody who saw it with their own eyes,” Groh said. “His play just speaks for itself.”

DE Johnson had his moments

In a matchup of two top draft prospects, Virginia left tackle Eugene Monroe and Tech defensive end Michael Johnson both had their moments. The two seniors played opposite each other on perhaps 30 of the Cavaliers’ 75 offensive plays.

Monroe, 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds, showed the agility and power that has made him a likely first-round pick. Sometimes with help, he often stalemated Johnson on pass rush plays and moved him out of running back Cedric Peerman’s way on runs.

Monroe was part of a Virginia line that only allowed one sack on 39 pass attempts against a Tech defense that had been leading the ACC in sacks.

Johnson had some clear wins on a few pass rushes and may have factored into Monroe being penalized for a false start. Most significantly, Johnson sped around Monroe on a third-down play in the fourth quarter and chopped the ball out of quarterback Marc Verica’s hand, causing a fumble that led to a Tech field goal. Moreover, Monroe was called for holding on the play.

Johnson was more bothered by what he said was a hold by Monroe on Verica’s 34-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter that put Virginia ahead.

Said Johnson, “I’m looking for the flag, and it’s nowhere to be found.”
 

This Tech loss was uncharacteristic
By Furman Bisher | Saturday, October 25, 2008, 08:24 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

This was not exactly what Paul Johnson had in mind for his first homecoming day at Georgia Tech. Virginia was surely no cup of tea, but Johnson’s first season with the Yellow Jackets had reached a pivotal point. Beat the Wahoos, and his personal brand would be stamped on football on North Avenue with the stands full of whooping patriots. Lose, it would be a bitter taste of gall.

This is not an old rivalry. Georgia Tech and Virginia only began to date each other regularly when they became fellow members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Tech had learned that Johnson’s style could cut the mustard in this league when they played Virginia Tech down to the wire, a game Tech could have won. Of course, you throw out the Gardner-Webb debacle, a game this team sleepwalked through. But this one, this one was key. This was one not to lose.

Virginia had been humiliated by Southern California, on its own soil. And, you could include Connecticut on that list. Even Duke pitched in, and everybody had been beating Duke until David Cutcliffe came to town. But when Maryland, East Carolina and North Carolina fell in a row, there was something astir in Charlottesville. So, for Johnson to win this one would indeed let the rest of the ACC know there was a new boss in town.

Paul Johnson had established his style, the triple option, or whatever, and he was getting rave notices. And for the first quarter, all was going swimmingly. After that, it wasn’t easy to put your finger on something to brag about. For that matter, no one expected to see him resort to as many pure drop-back passes, and to see his players make as many errors, lose the football, dig enough holes to bury themselves, and in the end, the man from Newland — that’s in the Blue Ridge — confirmed it: “Turned the ball over … make enough mistakes in every area to lose the game twice over.”

OK, enough whining and blame-dispensing. It might have been noticed that the Wahoos did a few things right. That fellow Cedric Peerman, a senior running back from the town of Gladys, Va. — I swear by it — took charge of the offense. He is the first back to roll up 100 yards rushing on the Tech defense this season, with 127, to be exact. He was a whirling dervish. And the quarterback, Marc Verica, a redshirt sophomore, ran the offense like a coach on the field.

You check the scoring and you see something warped about it. The Jackets scored two touchdowns in the first quarter and must have felt rather pleased with themselves, for they never scored another. Somehow, it seemed the fire ran low in their furnace, and they just sort of snoozed into the intermission. There was a lot of unhappiness among the 47,416 paying customers, both with the home lads and the men in stripes. So to leave you with a sweet taste in your memory box, let me remind you of a game in 1990, when Virginia was ranked No. l in the nation, and Georgia Tech waltzed into Charlottesville and ruined the mood on the way to its own national championship.

Then, of course, the Hoos will remind you that they have won four of the past five games they’ve played, and this made five. Hang the other four goose-eggs on Chan Gailey.

 

Cavs claim control of Coastal
By Jay Jenkins
Published: October 25, 2008

ATLANTA — As Vic Hall stepped in front of the pass, the roar in Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium was silenced.

And so were Virginia’s detractors.

For the second straight week, the Cavaliers mounted an improbable comeback in the second half, defeating No. 21 Georgia Tech 24-17 to move into sole possession of first place in the ACC’s Coastal Division. It marked Virginia’s first road win over a ranked opponent since upending Clemson in 2001.

“It was kind of like a hot-air balloon had the air just sucked out,” said Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim. “It was their homecoming and they made a big spectacle out of it, but Vic made a great play and you could hear a pin drop in the stadium.

“That was the game.”

With the win, Virginia improved to 5-3 overall and 3-1 in the league. Every other team in the Coastal Division has at least two losses.

“That was another we, us and our win,” said Virginia coach Al Groh. “Everybody on the team stepped up strong — staff, offense, defense, special teams. Anything less from any of those areas would have made it very hard.

“It was about as challenging as it can get after we found ourselves behind so quickly like that.”

As was the case in the rally to beat North Carolina the week prior, Virginia needed a heroic effort from running back Cedric Peerman to secure its positive result.

With the game tied 17-17 and just 7:29 left, Peerman helped the Cavaliers march 70 yards in eight plays by accounting for 59 of the drive’s yards.

Peerman scored the game-winning touchdown with 3:29 remaining on a 3-yard run that included a lunge for the right corner of the end zone. The play itself was promptly reviewed by instant replay, but was upheld as it was called on the field.

“I felt like I was in on that one,” said Peerman, who finished with 118 yards rushing on 25 carries. “I felt like I stretched the ball and it hit the pylon so I was just hoping it wasn’t a fumble.”

It was not the first play on the drive to be reviewed.

On the previous play as Virginia faced 3rd-and-8 at the Georgia Tech 11, Peerman broke free on the right sideline, this time lunging for the first down by just inches.

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson forced an instant replay on the play, citing that Peerman’s run was incorrectly spotted.

“We felt like we had the first down,” Peerman said, “so I don’t think we were really worried about the situation.”

The Yellow Jackets (6-2, 3-2 ACC) tried to answer the score and moved the ball into Virginia territory on the seventh play of the possession.

“Everybody felt good,” said Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt. “No one thought that we would lose. We all thought that we would score.”

That opportunity was eliminated on the eighth play, however, as Nesbitt threw an ill-timed pass in Hall’s direction. The cornerback stepped in front of the throw just feet from Virginia’s sideline and made a sprawling catch at the UVa 43-yard line with just 2:03 remaining. It sent the crowd scampering for the exits with a loss on homecoming for the first time in 12 years.

“I made a break and then I looked and saw the ball,” Hall said. “Everything going through my head was just make a play.”

Nesbitt added: “I was just trying to get the ball to my receiver and [Hall] made a good play.”

Early on it appeared that Georgia Tech was going to rout Virginia. The Yellow Jackets scored touchdowns on their first two possessions with relative ease.

On its opening drive, the Yellow Jackets used their triple option offense to perfection, running on all 11 plays to reach the end zone. The 73-yard drive was eventually capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by Nesbitt on 4th-and-goal.

After Virginia quarterback Marc Verica threw the first of two interceptions, the Yellow Jackets scored again as Nesbitt’s first pass of the game caught Virginia off guard. The signal caller connected with sophomore Demaryius Thomas on a 42-yard pass, setting up a 3-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Dwyer on the ensuing play.

Virginia trimmed the deficit to 14-10 with 11:22 left in the second quarter when Verica capped off a 12-play,

66-yard drive by sneaking a 14-yard touchdown pass into a gap to wideout Kevin Ogletree at the left corner of the end zone.

“Marc put it in a perfect spot,” said Ogletree, who was limited to a pair of catches for 19 yards. “He couldn’t have thrown a better ball. I looked it in and it was a perfect play.”

Verica struck again early in the second half. This time, the quarterback connected with senior wide receiver Maurice Covington on a 34-yard touchdown pass.

Covington, who had five receptions for 76 yards, said he was fortunate to have held onto the ball on the play.

“I didn’t look it in so I kind of bobbled it,” he said. “Luckily, I hauled it in and got into the end zone.”

Georgia Tech, which finished with 259 yards of total offense, answered in the fourth quarter, but Virginia managed to limit the score to a 39-yard field goal by Scott Blair after the Cavaliers sacked Nesbitt for a 12-yard loss on a 3rd-and-7 play at the UVa 9-yard line.

“The players demonstrated their determination,” Groh said of the defensive stand. “That’s a sticky situation to be in. There’s no rule that says they have to score.

“They really stepped up there and made some stops, and put us in a position to come back and not have to play catch-up.”

That is what the rest of the Coastal Division must do at this point.

 

Peerman’s return keeps paying off for Cavaliers
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: October 25, 2008

ATLANTA - Virginia offensive coordinator Mike Groh learned a long time ago, that when in doubt, hand the ball to Cedric Peerman.

During one of the most improbable runs in Virginia football history, Peerman has been the main catalyst for a four-game winning streak that finds the Cavaliers alone in first place in the ACC’s Coastal Division this morning.

Given up for dead a month ago, and with their embattled coach being declared a Las Vegas safe bet to be the next coach in the country to get the axe, the Cavaliers have upset four opponents in a row, including No. 21 ranked Georgia Tech, a 14-point favorite on Saturday.

Toughing it out

Throughout Southern gridiron history there have been many glorious running backs to grace age-old Grant Field. None of them ran any harder than Peerman did in leading the Cavaliers to a 24-17 triumph over the Yellow Jackets.

The “Running Reverend” refused to go down against one of the nation’s most stingy defenses as Peerman, a licensed minister, became the first opposing running back to gain 100 yards on Georgia Tech since Georgia’s Thomas Brown did it last November. Peerman bulldozed through the Jackets for 118 yards on 25 carries, including the game-winning touchdown on a dramatic three-yard dive to the right pylon with 3:29 remaining.

It’s no coincidence that Virginia’s four-game winning streak, which puts the Cavs in charge of their own destiny, has coincided with the return of a healthy Peerman. After UVa’s last loss, a bad day in Durham, Groh chose not to play his prized back who clearly wasn’t 100 percent.

“When Cedric is back, we’ll all know it,” Groh declared.

Ever since then, Peerman made it obvious that he’s baaaaaack.

UVa’s humble hero

While his coaches and teammates may shower him with praise, Peerman lets it roll off his back. Three performances of more than 100 yards rushing during UVa’s streak, and two key touchdowns in the Cavs’s cheat-the-Reaper win in overtime over North Carolina last week would cause many an athlete to pound their chest.

Not the Running Rev.

When asked to describe his running style after Saturday night’s win, Peerman just kind of grinned.

“Not very flashy,” the physical tailback said. “I have a little bit of speed to get around the edge every now and then.”

That’s about as much as you’ll ever hear Peerman talk about himself.

He often frustrates probing reporters who would rather hear him expound on his punishing running style, about how he imposes his will on defenses, about how he rarely allows the first tackler to bring him down.

Instead, Peerman, a fifth-year senior from the tiny community of Gladys, shuns the accolades and rather gives it to God.

What else would you expect a reverend to do?

He can deliver a sermon just as well as he can run through a defense or inspire his Cavalier teammates to not give up after a disastrous 1-3 start to the season. Now, UVa is 5-3 overall and 3-1 atop the division standings.

One reporter walked away, complaining that Peerman was giving too many answers about religion. But that’s Peerman. He wears his faith on his sleeve and isn’t ashamed to say so.

Feel free to insert your own Hallelujah chorus right here.

The bruising runner would rather someone else talk about his deeds.

“He’s the heart of the team,” said UVa quarterback Marc Verica. “He’s right that he’s not a flashy guy. He’s very humble. He never celebrates in the wrong way or shows anybody up. But when he hits the field, he’s a ton of fire and passion.”

That was never more evident than in key series when Virginia needed him most against the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech’s defense ranked in the Top 10 nationally in eight statistical categories.

But the Jackets hadn’t faced Peerman, the same guy who shredded them last season when Tech was one of the nation’s top run defenses.

“He’s a hard runner,” said Georgia Tech defensive back Morgan Burnett of the Virginia running back. “I knew that from last year. He’s just a tough back.”

When things looked their worst for the Cavaliers on this day, down 14-3 after Georgia Tech’s option offense has scored on its first two drives, the Grohs turned to Peerman.

When in doubt, right?

On a 12-play, 66-yard drive, Peerman carried the first four plays to set the tone.

“Defenses have to key on him and that takes the pressure off of me and everyone else,” Verica said. “If they don’t key on him, he’s going to burn them.”

The Cavs marched down the field to trail only 14-10 in the second quarter and kept within range while the coaches made adjustments to shut down Tech’s vaunted running game, the ninth-best attack in the country.

Fast forward to the fourth quarter, the game deadlocked at 17-all, with Virginia getting the ball at its own 30 with 7:29 to play. Eight plays later, the Cavaliers were in the end zone and ahead for good.

Peerman carried six times, including a jaw-dropping, 31-yard jaunt right through the gut of Georgia Tech’s defense and down to the 13-yard line.

Three plays later on 3rd-and-eight, he ran to the right and dove for the first down at the 3. On the very next snap, he Xeroxed the play, rushing to his right, diving toward the pylon, stretching out to score what proved to be the winning touchdown for the second straight week.

After the game, coach Al Groh, who could be working on his second consecutive ACC coach of the year award, couldn’t find the words to describe the blue-chip back.

“I’m almost uncomfortable talking about him because there’s nothing I can say about Cedric that would do him justice to anybody who saw it with their own eyes,” Groh said. “I can’t come up with anything new ... he’s the best.”

Ask Verica what it has meant to Virginia since Peerman fought off an injury to his right knee early in the season and returned to the team healthy.

“We’re a different team when he’s in the game,” the quarterback said. “He makes this offense go and everything revolves around him. At the end, he put the team on his back.”

At the end the past two weeks, that has been good enough to knock off two nationally-ranked football teams.

Virginia is hoping it’s good enough for the home stretch when the Cavaliers hope to find themselves in the ACC Championship game for the first time.

Do I hear an amen?

 

UVa secondary comes up big
By Whitey Reid
Published: October 25, 2008

ATLANTA — Coming into Saturday’s game, Georgia Tech’s M.O. was pretty obvious: Run, run and run some more.

Given that, it would have been easy for Virginia’s secondary to have a few mental lapses on the rare occasions that the Yellow Jackets decided to move the ball through the air.

While UVa defensive backs had a few hiccups in the first half, the unit came up huge when it really counted.

“There were some plays down there at the end where they had to battle for the ball and they won the battle,” said Virginia coach Al Groh. “I’m very happy for them. There probably won’t be any paragraphs or headlines on them, but when they had to make the play, they made the play.”

The biggest came with just over two minutes remaining when cornerback Vic Hall picked off a Josh Nesbitt pass as the Yellow Jackets were driving for the tying score.

“We were in man-to-man and I was just reading my man,” Hall explained. “I got a good read on his route and made a good break on the ball. It felt great.”

It was the second time this season that Hall has come up big in crunch time. In the early-season win over Richmond, he also had a game-sealing pick.

“It just feels great to be able to step up and make a play and help your team get a win,” he said.

Groh couldn’t say enough good things about Hall.

“He’s just been the greatest kid throughout all of his career,” Groh said. “He’s had people poking at him, like ‘How come you’re not playing quarterback?’ and this and that.

“We knew how valuable he was and now he’s really turned two games for us with fourth-quarter interceptions.”

Hall gave a lot of the credit for his performance to the Virginia coaching staff.

“Before the game, [they] warned us that we were going to be lulled to sleep because they run the ball a lot,” Hall said, “so we had to be ready and stay on our toes, and be ready for the pass at any given time. We stayed awake and made some plays.”

Earlier in the quarter, fellow defensive backs Ras-I Dowling and Chase Minnifield stood tall.

Dowling batted down a deep ball, while Minnifield provided excellent coverage, much to the chagrin of the Georgia Tech crowd that was barking for a pass-interference penalty.

“They came up huge,” said linebacker Clint Sintim. “Vic Hall in particular is a guy who always seems to do things right.

“Today he had a big play to end the game, and Ras-I Dowling and [Byron] Glaspy have all played their part in the defense.”

One of the only mental lapses came on Georgia Tech’s last-gasp drive when Groh was yelling at Dowling to shift to the other side of the formation and cover wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. Groh apparently walked too far onto the field and was hit with a delay-of-game penalty.

“We were trying to get [him] matched up with No. 8,” Groh said. “We were telling him previously, ‘You go to No. 8.’

“No. 8 changed sides and I’m trying to tell him that he’s their go-to guy and he’s looking at me like he’s hypnotized… I guess the official thought it was an important thing to do at that time of the game — to make his presence known.”

 

Childs gets first start of career
By Whitey Reid
Published: October 25, 2008

ATLANTA — Although Virginia inside linebacker Antonio Appleby had his right ankle heavily taped and dressed out for the game, junior Darren Childs got the first start of his career.

The San Diego native, who came out of nowhere to record 10 tackles in the win over North Carolina last weekend, finished with five tackles against Georgia Tech.

“Darren got a lot of confidence last week,” said Virginia coach Al Groh, “and we’re going to stick with him and show our confidence in him. He built more confidence [today].”

Groh said that Appleby’s ankle improved exponentially in the 48 hours leading into the game. However, the team decided to err on the side of caution, in part, because of Georgia Tech’s unique running attack that may have put added pressure on him.

Return of the German

Virginia place-kicker Yannick Reyering made his return to the lineup. Reyering, who missed last weekend’s game against North Carolina because of knee tendonitis, drilled a 25-yard field goal in the first quarter and made all three of his extra points.

Simply Sintim

Virginia senior linebacker Clint Sintim, the ACC leader in sacks, notched a sack for the fifth straight game. The last UVa player to accomplish the feat was Chris Long.

“I’d love to keep going and get as many as possible,” Sintim said. “Fourteen would be great, but 15 would be even better since Chris [Long] had 14.”

McLeod 9

Defensive back Rodney McLeod picked a good time to register his first career sack. The sophomore took down Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt for a 16-yard loss on the Jackets’ last-gasp drive in the fourth quarter. McLeod became the eighth different Cavalier to register a sack this season.

Underdogs

Virginia came into the game as a 14-point underdog, which didn’t surprise Sintim. “They never really respect Virginia football for whatever reason,” Sintim said, “but that’s not a new story. It’s been like that for quite some time. It seems like every once in a while we fool people. We get ‘lucky,’ I guess.”

Mo better

Maurice Covington extended his streak to four games with at least three receptions. He also had his first TD reception of the season in the third quarter. His uncle, Tom Covington, was a wide receiver at Georgia Tech from 1988-91. Covington set a career high for receptions (five) and tied his career high for receiving yards (76).

Whoops!

Just after Covington’s go-ahead touchdown score early in the third quarter, one of Virginia’s male cheerleaders raced onto the field with a giant UVa flag. As he got near the Georgia Tech student section, he slipped to the ground, much to the delight of the fans.

Extra points

Reyering’s first-quarter field goal were the first points that Georgia Tech had allowed in the first quarter since a Sept. 6 meeting against Boston College, a span of six games. … Nine different Virginia receivers caught passes. … UVa did not punt in the first half. … The Georgia Tech coaching staff wore armbands to lend their support for the fight against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. … Virginia won in Atlanta for the fourth time since 1990, the last year Georgia Tech won in Charlottesville. … UVa’s win over the No. 21 Yellow Jackets is its second win in a row over a ranked team. Last week, UVa defeated No. 18 North Carolina. This is the first time since 2002 Virginia has defeated ranked teams in back-to-back weeks. UVa defeated N.C. State (No. 20) and No. 18 Maryland that season. … Nate Collins started at nose tackle in place of Nick Jenkins, who was injured late in the North Carolina game last week. … Kevin Ogletree’s TD catch in the second quarter is his fourth of the year, tying his career high set two years ago. It is also the most by a Cavalier since Ogletree’s 2006 performance.